Granny squares cutie

Granny squares cutie
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Before I took up knitting again in early 2004, convinced it was too hard for me, I tried crochet. I tried it because I really wanted to make a granny squares afghan.

Alas, I taught myself to crochet left-handed from a book, and when it came to granny squares (or any crochet instructions more complicated than chains), I threw my hook down in disgust.

I even had a crochet expert (a friend of my Aunt's who taught her how to crochet beautifully) try to teach me the Secret of the Square, but I wanted to go clockwise and it made me seriously dizzy to try and follow her counter-clockwise.

I have been on a search for the Perfect Granny Squares Afghan ever since. Before I found this one today, I found another one made out of thicker yarn, whose squares were not set on point like this one, for $120. The price alone sent me on to the next booth. And the next. And the next.

I was just getting ready to leave when I saw this one curled up in a basket outside a booth. The price was $45 (!). The vendor came out and helped me open it up, then said casually that he'd let me have it for $30.

I fell in love with the finer yarn and close-set colorful squares. The fact that the squares were set on point (and the new price) completely sold me.

It may even inspire me to try and crochet again...

Vintage slide bounty

Vintage slide bounty
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

A nice variety of small buckles, or "ribbon slides," as they are known in the scrapbooking industry. Each one was 50 cents at my favorite Ann Arbor Antiques Market booth (sorry, I didn't grab a card, but she's out of Rhode Island and has the most GORGEOUS color-coordinated booth in the whole market. Scrumptious)!

Most of these are going into my Community Theatre mini-album, to commemorate 15 years I spent doing (mostly musical) theatre around the Detroit area. A fun new project inspired by Simple Scrapbook's Scrapbooking Made Easy "encyclopedia."

When I got home, my new Freestyle scrapbooking idea book arrived in the mail (shown off to the right in the pic above). Whee! Ideas galore. Although I resent the suggestion that I enjoy fresh graphic design (a la Real Simple magazine) because I'm "looking for something to go with my newly Botoxed lips." WTH?! Seriously, it's in the introduction. Gah. Can you even Botox your lips? I thought it was just your forehead and brows. Meg Ryan has totally had it done, I saw her on Oprah last month. HORRIBLE. Anyway.

Lots of digital scrapbooking suggestions, which is an art I still have to learn. Especially considering I'm still (barely) working with Photoshop 4.0, when everyone else is working with PS 7.0! I'm an old Mac gal who still loves her Adobe Pagemaker, and I organize/touchup/print all my photos with the MS Picture It software I got when I made the switch to Dell. Five years ago...

Quilt top -- Feedsack Flowers

Quilt top -- Feedsack Flowers
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

We couldn't find the price tag on this, so the vendor decided $40 was fair enough. Here are all the charming 1940s feedsack fabrics I so frantically search for in fabric stores nowadays (they're currently out of style, apparently) -- only these really are from the 1940s. How cool is that?!

P.S. It's just a quilt top...not sure how I'll finish it, since I'm not much of a quilter. I may leave that up to my mom. I'm open to suggestions...

Quilt top -- backing

Quilt top -- backing
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Shows the printing from the sack of sugar the backing was made of.

Mary T's

Mary T's
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

A good night of cropping yesterday. Got there late, AS USUAL (7 p.m.), but hung around until the bitter end (11 p.m.).

This was the first page I really thought out while I was taking the photos - usually I just shoot and shoot and sort 'em out later, in the layout stage (and curse myself for not getting just the right horizontal or vertical shot).

PLUS I handed the camera to E and asked (shock!) for a picture of me. Not that I'm happy with it...who ever is?!

This is a Dexter restaurant that closed recently. We knew it was closing; we didn't know this would be our last chance for breakfast (and photos) there.

The "real" Mary T (yes, there was one) told us her rent was skyrocketing (and she had several colorful things to say about her landlord), but this week I was walking past the storefront restaurant and there were "Warning - Do Not Enter - Property Under Seizure" signs. So, who knows the real story.

Today, hopefully, (as soon as E gets his butt back from early-morning tennis, grr...) I am off to the first of the Spring/Summer Ann Arbor Antique Markets. Then I'll have to come home and do something with the fabulous vintage photos I picked up there last April...

Day 11 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 11 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Rhonna's QOD is waaaaay back here...

While I'm grateful for the kick in the pants this project has given me creatively, I'm starting to think my lateness is not me, it's the quotes. They are all starting to sound alike, and I am having a hard time coming up with new ideas. Hey, at least I'm still working on it and feel like my scrapbooking is going in a new direction (a VERY good thing).

This page uses River City Rubber Works Alphabet Vintage Regular sets, one of my favorites. Looks like it's a lot of other folks' favorite too, since it's one of 8 of theirs that won them a big marketing award.

More pictures in a moment. I've had a fun weekend, first with Karen on Friday, then yesterday at a birthday party, now today with a day to myself for scrapbooking at home (since everything's closed for Easter).

Day 10 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 10 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Okay, I give up on all pretense of keeping up with Rhonna's schedule. Although I've been pretty honest about not playing along in a timely manner right from the start...really, I wanted to move down that freaky self-portrait a bit!

I used Rhonna's actual quote for Day 10, so, no QOD link today. Just her site link.

Went to Knit In on Tuesday. Just a handful of us: Elisha, Emily & a friend from the UM chemistry dept., Lynne. Although why I'm linking to those WHO HAVE BLOGS THEY NEVER UPDATE DESPITE THRILLING NEWS (ahem), I'll never know...still, it was great to get out of the house & work on the sleeves to my Yarn Girl's hoodie.

I've been reading books about babies & being a big sister to Tess; she's suddenly started waking up through the night, not just to go potty but because she's "scared." The first couple of nights she had a very real fear of bugs (Dad killed a "yellow coat" on the tennis court while they were out together, the next night they were caught in a cloud of gnats), but as of last night I decided that perhaps we should back off from overloading her with baby-in-the-womb information.

She was thrilled, however, to discover that the baby can *hear* her. The first thing she did was "whisper" a "secret" to the baby: "I love you and I can't wait to meet you!" Now if she could just come up with another song besides her out-of-tune version of "Elmo's World" to sing to it, we'd be all set.

Self-Portrait Tuesday: April Fools

Self-Portrait Tuesday: April Fools
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Tess had a playdate yesterday and their PeeWee's Playhouse Word of the Day was "cucumber." Whenever either girl would say it, there would be a burst of uncontrollable giggles, the kind you can't help but join in on, even though you don't really get the joke.

With my sister, the WOD was always either "banana" or "fanny."

For me, any babysitter with long hair who allowed me to brush it forward and then put glasses over her face would put me into hysterics.

Perhaps if my hair were longer this would be more silly and less scary!

Day 9 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 9 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Quote of the Day here.

Struggled with this one. Suddenly something goes "ping!" and it all comes together.

Still coming up with new ideas, though, on the side, so something's working!

Day 8 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 8 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

I'd like to add more but I need to get to bed. Long day, not feeling good (4/9). I've been thinking about this page all day, only just got to it after I put Tess to bed at 9:30 p.m. My mind is reeling with creative scrapbooking ideas; this has been rejuvenating (but not that rejuvenating...not tonight...)!

Rhonna's inspiring quote is here.

Day 7 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 7 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

My hand was too big to trace; had to use Tess's. I wanted a left hand anyway, and (being left-handed) it would have been impossible for me to trace my own left hand.

Here's the Quote of the Day.

Day 6 of 21-Day Challenge

Day 6 of 21-Day Challenge
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Included interesting definitions gleaned off the internet for "proscribed" and "proscribed burn..." VERY interesting, considering the adversity I went through to "blossom."

Inspiring quote for Day 6 here (scroll down past the April Fools joke...)